AXSOM’S TOP-3 STREAK TRANSLATES TO USAC SPRINT RECORDS & POINT LEAD

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Speedway, Indiana (July 1, 2023)………Emerson Axsom’s ongoing run of success since mid-June has been paramount in elevating him from sixth to first in the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship standings.

Entering the Sunday-Monday, July 2-3, Bill Gardner Sprintacular at Putnamville, Indiana’s Lincoln Park Speedway, the Franklin, Ind. native has reeled off six consecutive top-three finishes with the series in his Clauson Marshall Newman Racing/Driven2SaveLives – ZMax Race Lubricants/Spike/Kistler Chevy.

In doing so, Axsom’s performances made it just the 42nd occurrence of a driver earning six consecutive top-three results in the 68-year history of USAC National Sprint Car racing.  In that span, he’s won twice, finished as the runner-up on three occasions and also notched a third.  During that time, he added an Eastern Storm title to his credit, and at press time, has led each of the last five feature events he competed in.

Axsom’s current streak is impressive, and it’s actually the second time this season in which a driver has finished on the “podium” in at least six consecutive feature events.  Jake Swanson (Anaheim, Calif.) also put together a string of six-in-a-row, which ironically, overlapped with the first race of Axsom’s current run.

From early May at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway until mid-June’s victory at Pennsylvania’s Grandview Speedway, Swanson captured three victories, a pair of runner-up results and a single third.  As a result, he’s positioned himself squarely within the championship race, and currently stands second in series points, 33 behind Axsom.

Perhaps, not unsurprisingly, these types of results have positive ramifications in terms of championships.  We’ve delved into the record books to pick out not only the top “podium” streaks of all-time in USAC National Sprint Car racing, but also how they fared in the title races that same season.

The great Parnelli Jones stands head and shoulders above all in this regard when he manhandled Harlan Fike’s No. 1 to 12 consecutive top-three finishes in 1961 and lasted from June until September.  In a dozen race stretch, the Californian, via Texarkana, Ark., racked up six wins in all, including a then-series-record five straight victories at New Bremen (Ohio) Speedway, Indianapolis Raceway Park twice, Salem (Ind.) Speedway and Ohio’s Dayton Speedway.

In 1968, Marietta, Ohio’s Larry Dickson broke Parnelli’s consecutive feature win record by knocking out six-straight early in the season, a record that still stands to this day.  His accolades included a succession of 10-straight top-three results in Ray Smith’s No. 4, with 30-lap triumphs at Pennsylvania’s Heidelberg Raceway and Reading Fairgrounds, plus New Bremen and Winchester (Ind.) Speedway as well as Ohio’s Dayton Speedway and Tri-County Speedway.

Thirty-five summers later in 2003, J.J. Yeley put together the most prolific season in USAC history, winning a record 24 feature events across the board in all disciplines, 13 of which came in USAC National Sprint Car competition.  In fact, the Phoenix, Ariz. racer finished 25 of his 31 starts that season on the podium.  He very easily could’ve ended the campaign on a streak of 16 consecutive top-three had he not run into a hiccup at Salem when he spun while leading, six races from the end of the season in which he ran away with the championship.

Nonetheless, what Jones, Dickson and Yeley all have in common is that they all translated that consistency into championships.  The same tune rings true for the majority of drivers who’ve hung immaculate top-three runs at some point during a season.

Go down the list.  Drivers who finished nine-straight on the podium include Parnelli Jones (1960 Midwest), Greg Weld (1967), Pancho Carter (1976) and Rick Hood (1984), all of whom won championships that same year.  It holds true on the “eight-straight” line as well, with Pat O’Connor (1956 Midwest), Roger McCluskey (1966) and Rick Hood (1985) also scoring championships.

While it’s not a prerequisite for a championship, garnering top-three results night-in, night-out is at least a surefire way to thrust oneself into title contention.  Emerson Axsom and Jake Swanson have certainly accomplished that throughout the first half of the 2023 season, and for their sake, there’s an entire latter half that remains in the second half to make a championship push.

 

UPCOMING RACE DETAILS

The ninth annual IndianaOpenWheel.com Bill Gardner Sprintacular awaits this weekend, Sunday-Monday, July 2-July 3 at Putnamville, Indiana’s Lincoln Park Speedway.

On Sunday, the program consists of the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship co-sanctioned by the Midwest Sprint Car Series, plus 305 RaceSaver Sprint Cars and Modifieds.

Monday’s event features the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship co-sanctioned by the Midwest Sprint Car Series, plus the Midwest Mini Sprint Association, Super Stocks and Bombers.

The MSCS format will be utilized throughout Sunday’s $5,000-to-win 30-lap feature while USAC’s format will be used during Monday’s program, which culminates with a $10,000-to-win 40-lap main event.

Pits open at 2pm Eastern with the front gates opening at 4pm and hot laps at 6pm with qualifying and racing immediately following.

General admission tickets are $30, kids 10 and under are free.  Pit passes are $40 with kids 10 and under free.

 

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SINGLE SEASON CONSECUTIVE TOP-3 USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR FEATURE FINISHES:

 

BY RANK:

12 - TWELVE

Parnelli Jones (1961)

 

10 - TEN

Larry Dickson (1968)

J.J. Yeley (2003)

 

9 - NINE

Parnelli Jones (1960 Midwest)

Greg Weld (1967)

Pancho Carter (1976)

Rick Hood (1984)

 

8 - EIGHT

Pat O’Connor (1956 Midwest)

Roger McCluskey (1966)

Steve Chassey (1980)

Rick Hood (1985)

Justin Grant (2020)

 

7 - SEVEN

Jim Hurtubise (1961)

Parnelli Jones (1962)

Johnny Rutherford (1965)

Larry Dickson (1968)

Larry Dickson (1970)

Rollie Beale (1975)

Mike Bliss (1994)

Kevin Doty (1998)

Dave Steele (2002)

Brady Bacon (2016)

 

6 - SIX

Tommy Hinnershitz (1959 Eastern)

Don Branson (1960 Midwest)

Jim Hurtubise (1961)

Jim Hurtubise (1962)

Bobby Marshman (1963)

Larry Dickson (1969)

Sammy Sessions (1971)

Tom Bigelow (1977)

Billy Cassella (1978)

Danny Smith (1991)

Chet Fillip (1997)

Dave Darland (1999)

Tracy Hines (2002)

J.J. Yeley (2002)

Robert Ballou (2014)

Chris Windom (2016)

Tyler Courtney (2019)

6-C.J. Leary (2019)

Emerson Axsom (2023-Active)

Jake Swanson (2023)

 

5 - FIVE

Elmer George (1956 Eastern)

Andy Linden (1957 Midwest)

Don Branson (1959 Midwest)

Parnelli Jones (1962)

Roger McCluskey (1963)

Don Branson (1964)

A.J. Foyt (1964)

Jud Larson (1964)

Don Branson (1966)

Roger McCluskey (1966)

Larry Dickson (1970)

Larry Dickson (1971)

Lee Kunzman (1973)

Tom Sneva (1973)

Pancho Carter (1976)

Pancho Carter (1977)

Pancho Carter (1979)

Rich Vogler (1982)

Sheldon Kinser (1984)

Rick Hood (1990)

Eric Gordon (1991)

Jim Keeker (1993)

Tony Elliott (1994)

Jay Drake (2000)

J.J. Yeley (2003)

J.J. Yeley (2003)

Bobby East (2005)

Damion Gardner (2005)

Levi Jones (2007)

Levi Jones (2010)

Bryan Clauson (2012)

Tyler Courtney (2018)

Tyler Courtney (2018)

Chris Windom (2018)

Kyle Cummins (2020)

Robert Ballou (2022)

 

BY YEAR:

1956: 8-Pat O’Connor (Midwest) & 5-Elmer George (Eastern)

1957: 5-Andy Linden (Midwest)

1959: 6-Tommy Hinnershitz (Eastern) & 5-Don Branson (Midwest)

1960: 9-Parnelli Jones (Midwest) & 6-Don Branson (Midwest)

1961: 12-Parnelli Jones, 7-Jim Hurtubise & 6-Jim Hurtubise

1962: 7-Parnelli Jones, 6-Jim Hurtubise & 5-Parnelli Jones

1963: 6-Bobby Marshman & 5-Roger McCluskey

1964: 5-Don Branson, 5-A.J. Foyt & 5-Jud Larson

1965: 7-Johnny Rutherford

1966: 8-Roger McCluskey, 5-Don Branson & 5-Roger McCluskey

1967: 9-Greg Weld

1968: 10-Larry Dickson & 7-Larry Dickson

1969: 6-Larry Dickson

1970: 7-Larry Dickson & 5-Larry Dickson

1971: 6-Sammy Sessions & 5-Larry Dickson

1972: None

1973: 5-Lee Kunzman & 5-Tom Sneva

1974: None

1975: 7-Rollie Beale

1976: 9-Pancho Carter & 5-Pancho Carter

1977: 6-Tom Bigelow & 5-Pancho Carter

1978: 6-Billy Cassella

1979: 5-Pancho Carter

1980: 8-Steve Chassey

1981: None

1982: 5-Rich Vogler

1983: None

1984: 9-Rick Hood & 5-Sheldon Kinser

1985: 8-Rick Hood

1986: None

1987: None

1988: None

1989: None

1990: 5-Rick Hood

1991: 6-Danny Smith & 5-Eric Gordon

1992: None

1993: 5-Jim Keeker

1994: 7-Mike Bliss & 5-Tony Elliott

1995: None

1996: None

1997: 6-Chet Fillip

1998: 7-Kevin Doty

1999: 6-Dave Darland

2000: 5-Jay Drake

2001: None

2002: 7-Dave Steele, 6-Tracy Hines & 6-J.J. Yeley

2003: 10-J.J. Yeley, 5-J.J. Yeley & 5-J.J. Yeley

2004: None

2005: 5-Bobby East & 5-Damion Gardner

2006: None

2007: 5-Levi Jones

2008: None

2009: None

2010: 5-Levi Jones

2011: None

2012: 5-Bryan Clauson

2013: None

2014: 6-Robert Ballou

2015: None

2016: 7-Brady Bacon & 6-Chris Windom

2017: None

2018: 5-Tyler Courtney, 5-Tyler Courtney & 5-Chris Windom

2019: 6-Tyler Courtney & 6-C.J. Leary

2020: 8-Justin Grant & 5-Kyle Cummins

2021: None

2022: 5-Robert Ballou

2023: 6-Emerson Axsom (Active) & 6-Jake Swanson